I woke up with a start due to a wet sensation coming from my arm, and quickly repositioning myself I rolled over to my back before flaying my arms wildly and sitting up. Searching for the perpetrator of the discomfort, I saw it oozing and trembling a few feet from me.

"Is that a bloody slime?" looking at the red little bugger it fit the description of a fantasy slime perfectly; It had no visible limbs, no eyes, and a little shiny core inside it. As I stood up to analyze it, however, I realized that they're not as cute as the fantasy stories made them out to be.

The thing was about a foot in diameter and looked like a flaming pile of moving snot. My face visibly cringed remembering that atrocity was on my arm just a few seconds earlier and looking at the comparatively more tender skin around where I felt it, I determined they weren't as friendly as the stories made them out to be either.

Quickly distancing myself from the creature, I took in my surroundings and it was clear as day I was no longer in Texas. I was in a clearing surrounded by what I could only describe as alien trees and shrubbery, and other than the slime there was no other living being near me. The 'trees' looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

Not to mention the lack of any leaves, they had grey bark that was dry and cracked while their branches and trunks were knarled and jutted out randomly. The shrubbery was only just a touch more 'normal' as they had obsidian-black branches adorned with dark red leaves, and could probably fit the description of some exotic variants of plants. The 'soil' I stood on, on the other hand, was barren and it had an ashen grey and loose texture.

"Where am I?" almost immediately after I voiced the question I got a response in the form of a blue table with glittering words, that popped into existence before me.

'Welcome to the Tutorial! Be not afraid citizens of 'Earth', deliverance has come to you in the form of an opportunity. All members of your species within the age range of 18-65 are eligible to take advantage of this opportunity. Your planet is undergoing a drastic series of changes at this very moment, that would no doubt result in a premature meeting with oblivion for most of you. By partaking in this tutorial you have been granted the chance to cultivate the strength necessary to live in your new world without the threat of death. This tutorial would take place in 3 stages over the course of 9 months, after which you would be transported back to your transformed planet. Defer to your system notices for any further instruction. Try your best not to die though, and good luck!

A moment later, however, I was scared sh*tless as a cheerful voice narrated the words before my eyes.

"Hello!? Is anyone out there!? What is happening!? What do you mean by my planet is 'undergoing a drastic series of changes'!?" I shouted out unsure if there was actually anybody out here in this wasteland, but that voice had to come from somewhere right? However, almost a minute later when my words were still left unanswered; I felt silly, considering that speaking directly into my head was probably a parlor trick compared to creating whatever environment I was now in.

"Can I at least change my class by chance!?!" I didn't get left unanswered this time as another table popped up in front of me.

System Notice:

Primary Objectives:

1. Secure Food, Water, and Shelter within the next 24 hours [50 exp.]

2. Reach level 5 within the next 96 hours [200 exp.]

3. Make contact with the nearest settlement within the next 192 hours, Interaction: (Peaceful/Hostile)

*Requirements changed due to class: Interaction: (Conquest) [1000 exp.]

I had re-read the table a few times already but I still felt like I was missing something somewhere. This was supposed to be like a game right? Where was everybody else then? Heck- where was the beginner town everyone usually ends up in? Was this a glitch or something? Thinking about it- it had to be. There was no way the System would expect me to be able to accomplish those objectives. I didn't have any experience in boy scouting or had any survivalist skills. I also wasn't particularly learned in the art of fu*king bloody conquest, goddamnit!

"S- system... is this a mistake? I'm expected to do all of those things... with only a dagger?" Once again there was no response, and I think I was getting an understanding of the specifics of my predicament. In simple words- I was fu*cked. The sadistic bastards behind this disguised ruse of world domination and that man-baby had joined forces to kill me... and there was nothing I could do but bend over and take it...

'Fu*k! No! I refuse to believe that imp would spend all that time, and gave up all the chances he had to kill me, in preference of having me starve to death. There was something I was missing... think Jeremy, think- that's it!' Ashby had said I would be granted another gift when I was in the tutorial.

"System! Fork it over! Where's the gift that I was promised!"

Silence. 'Right... I don't think the system can respond to my words...' a revelation I should have had the first few times I tried communicating with it. Thinking a little harder I came up with another possible solution of who could have my gift, or more specifically what would have my gift.

'Status Open'

Name: Jeremy Silvertone

Level: 1 [0/10]

Class: Demon King

HP: 100/100

MP: 10/10

Strength: 10

Agility: 10

Endurance: 10

Intelligence: 10

Skills: Inspect Lvl 1, Momento temporis Lvl 1

There it was. A skill that wasn't there when I last checked, and focusing on it a description of the skill appeared in my head.

Momento temporis: This skill provides the user with a vision of what they need most at the time, A moment in time. Cooldown: 72 hours

Oh sh*t! If this skill does what I think it does, it's as broken as they come... However, I was reeled from my thoughts about game-breaking mechanics by some movement a few feet away from my toes. The burning booger still hungered for my flesh...

Harnessing all the disgust I felt for the creature, I unsheathed my dagger ready to defend my cleanliness. But remembering the other skill I had, I generously granted the slime a few more seconds of life.

Lesser Infernal Slime

HP: 15/15

A lesser version of an infernal slime

Hmm- it appeared at this point at least, that the skill was almost useless when identifying living things, almost. The indication of how much stabbing I had to execute in order to render something dead was still extremely useful. Unfortunately, for the moving mass of mucus with its use now exhausted, I moved to exterminate the pest with a swift overhead strike.

-5 HP

Surprisingly enough- or well unsurprisingly since reality was a game now, the damage I did to the slime was visibly represented by a dark red number above it.

I learned two things in the moment following that attack. Firstly, the damage I did was a fraction of the damage I should have done. At least according to the specs of the dagger, so that meant fighting wasn't just a numbers game. I actually had to attack vital spots to do optimal damage. Secondly... slimes aren't as slow or dumb as they were made out to be.

After attacking the slime, I quickly backpedaled to give myself room to observe and avoid a counterattack, but the creature visibly deformed and stretched before lunging towards me faster than I could escape. It latched onto my forearm once again but instead of the wet sensation I received earlier, it felt as if the slime was burning through my flesh.

-5 HP

The damage I took was represented by yellow numbers while I wailed in agony while swinging my arms to get the creature off me but to no avail. Seeing that wildly flailing my arms wasn't going to help, I grit my teeth and punched the slime off my arm, and it dropped to the ground disoriented. I wasn't going to let it recover either as I quickly raised my boots before bringing it down on the slime for some more damage.

-2 HP

-3 HP

-4 HP

-2 HP

I didn't even register the numbers appearing over the slime as I repeatedly slammed my feet into it over and over again. The shame and embarrassment of panicking and letting a scrub monster hurt me clouded my mind, so much so that I barely noticed when the slime stopped moving and another notification popped up in the corner of my eye. I did however notice when the slime died and it turned into fine particles and flew into my body. Lesser infernal slime has been slain! Gained 5 exp.! To say I was a little scared when slime dust was absorbed by my body would be an understatement, but the notification shed a little light on the abnormal experience. The particles I had just seen and assimilated, I instantly associated with 'exp.' Because that only made sense if this was a game. You fight monsters, you defeat them and they make you stronger, at least that's how it was in the numerous RPGs I played. "U-uh okay... Well, that just happened... Time to go find water, food, and shelter I guess" I made a mental decision to put the last few minutes behind me and never speak a word of it to another soul. However, casting my gaze towards the treeline, I found myself not knowing how to proceed. Momento temporis, I thought of the words and I saw the world warp and twist around me until I felt like a passenger in my own body. I saw myself walking towards a portion of the treeline and then stepping through it unhesitatingly. I quickly made my way through the withered forest before coming upon a small creek filled with murky and ash-covered water. My vision warped again, and I saw myself walking along the creek. There was another type of bush, this one with black leaves, that had a sparse amount of red berries on it, and I saw myself move to pick them before throwing them into my mouth. Once again reality twisted around me and I found myself still tracing along the creek- no, by now it would be wide enough to be called a river, and I saw myself breaking through the forest and entering an outcropping. The water was flowing through the elevated rocks and then cascading into a ravine that flowed through the forest as a river. My body didn't stop here to admire the scenery, however, as I saw myself, walking toward the outcropping of rocks and in between two particularly large formations. I realized where I was headed the moment I stepped through the towering rock formations, as I stepped into a pocket surrounded by them on all sides. Furthermore, I saw myself pick up a nearby sharp rock and dig into the northernmost wall of the pocket until there was an opening spacious enough to fit my body comfortably. My vision twisted one more time, except this time I was back in the opening where I started. I quickly realized that the skill had run its course as I could move my limbs again, but I was still in shock because of what just happened. The absurdity of this skill only now made itself known to me. ' 'This was beyond broken... this was just too fu*cking overpowered! I could just kiss you, Ashby!' I couldn't fight the smile threatening to creep onto my face so I set out toward the treeline instead, a path to survival made clear before me, all I need do is follow it. However, after walking for a few minutes through the forest, I noticed a discrepancy in the skill, well it was more of an oversight really. The skill clearly showed me everything 'I most needed' and apparently information on the murderous fauna wasn't on that list. Death came in the form of a four-hoofed, two-tusked hulk of a creature. A quick use of the skill Inspect let me know exactly what I was dealing with, however. Masticus the Voracious HP: 300/300 Now a named creature, it was an infernal boar that ate its family and mutated as a result. It is not an enemy you can face. You've been warned. If the glowing purple name, very ominous and lengthy description weren't enough of a deterrent, its size sure was. Standing at a height just a little above my waist, the massive boar was busily doing as boars do. Whole-heartedly ripping and devouring the flesh from another unrecognizable poor sob that lay dead at its feet, you know, the usual. Its completely normal tail ended in a small plume of flickering blue flame- Yep completely normal. Nothing to see here, no need to disturb the creature from its dinner am I right? So stepping back extremely slowly, and even more careful not to step on a dry twig or anything else that would alert my impending doom of a nearby sack of flesh. Alas, it wasn't to be. As I heard a shaking sound from behind some bushes to my side, and a moment later, out came a smaller, tuskless version of death. And facing its ghastly red eyes, I knew I was finished. At that moment I understood how all manga protagonists who are faced with a foe clearly leagues out of their ability feel. 'Ah fu*k- this sh*t is unfair' But like all the great heroes, I did what I had to do. I firmly planted my feet, positioned my body so I'd be ready for what comes next, and then I turned and ran for my fu*king life.